Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Following the proposed resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland, a coalition under the aegis of Ogoni Civil Society Groups has urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure the exoneration of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others who were killed while in the struggle for the rights of the Ogoni people.
It would be recalled that President Tinubu has had a series of meetings with various Ogoni leaders and other stakeholders in Rivers State ahead of the proposed oil exploration in the land. Most recent was the signing of a bill into law for a University of Environment, Ogoni, as a way to cushion the pains and agonies of the people who have suffered years of environmental degradation and hardship.
Briefing journalists in Bori, Khana Local Government Area, yesterday, they insisted that before commencement of the exploration, the nine Ogoni martyrs must be exonerated from the alleged crime against them.
This was contained in a statement at the briefing signed by HRH Chief Georgina Tenalo, founding President Federation of Ogoni Women Association (FOWA), Fegalo Nsuke, factional President Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Barine Nagbo, Barinaadaa Wugale, Executive Director Ogoni Solidarity Forum, South Africa, Michael Karikpo, Country Manager, Natural Justice, Emmanuel Barinuazor, National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP) and Theophilus Mbagha (NYCOP).
Thanking President Tinubu for the sincerity to underpin the current attempt to resolve the Ogoni question, the group noted that the President assured the Ogoni delegation that his administration would prioritise peace, justice and sustainable development in Ogoni.
They recalled that the President had assured another Ogoni delegation under the aegis of the Supreme Council of Ogoni Traditional Rulers in May 2024 that “We must heal the wounds of the past. We must live and prepare for the future of our children.”
According to the coalition, “We have no doubt in our minds that President Tinubu will work to heal the wounds inflicted on Ogoniland by a brutal dictatorship in cahoots with Shell. We urge President Tinubu to, as a sign of good faith, ensure the exoneration of Ken Saro Wiwa, Baribor Bera, Saturday Doobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbokoo, Felix Nuate, John Kpuinen, Dr. Nubari Kiobel.”
They urged that the Ogoni martyrs should be exonerated “either by executive order or via a re-examination of the patently false evidence by the prosecution against these innocent Ogoni sons. Ken Saro Wiwa and the eight others were further denied the right of appeal by the abrupt decision of the military dictatorship to execute them.
“This is one wound that the majority of Ogoni people desire that President Tinubu who barely escaped the death squad of the Abacha junta, must heal. We cannot in any way rewrite history but we can correct some anomalies of the past.”
They continued: “We are witnesses to the uncommon courage and grit that it took to end the oil subsidy and Forex subsidy. We urge president Tinubu to exhibit a similar trait in dealing with this fundamental miscarriage of justice and abominable abuse of power by the Abacha Junta at the behest of Shell.
“As eloquently stated by the president, ‘we cannot in any way rewrite history but we can correct some of the anomalies of the past’. The Last 32 years of steadfast opposition to oil extraction in Ogoni has put a lie to Abacha’s junta’s rush to silence dissent in the forlorn hopes that a vanquished Ogoni will cave into dehumanizing submission to the will of the dictatorship and Shell.”
They also demanded the setting up of a peace and reconciliation panel to re-examine evidence and take testimonies on the immediate and remote causes of the deaths of the Ogoni four. “This will bring healing and closure to their families.”
They observed that “It is the general view of Ogoni people around the world that the delegation of Ogoni leaders that visited the president did not adequately represent the broad spectrum of Ogoni people. For example, Women and youths were not represented.
“Similarly, the facilitation group appointed by the National Security Adviser suffers from an identical lack of inclusivity. This will not augur well for the conclusive resolution of all the issues connected with Ogoni resistance to resumption of oil extraction.
“We also note with concern that whilst the families of the Ogoni 4 were fully represented both during the visit to the president and within the consultation facilitation group, there is no representative of families of the Ogoni 9 and MOSOP in the consultation facilitation group.”
They further demanded that “the facilitation group be reconstituted to ensure it reflects the diversity of the Ogoni community and to ensure fairness, equity and justice. Within this context, we demand that the consultation facilitation group should include representatives of women, representatives of Ogoni youths, a representative nominated by the families of the ‘Ogoni nine’ and a representative MOSOP and a representative of Ogoni Council of Churches.”
